The primary reason why <?php </script> ?> does not produce a parse error is that PHP treats the opening tag for a script as a comment indicator.In contrast, when a closing tag like </div> is encountered, PHP recognizes it as an invalid syntax and throws a parse error.

Coding⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-03

How to Fix: In PHP, why does </script> not show a parse error?

Q: How do I fix: Using the `<?=` shorthand syntax?

Step 1: Another approach to avoid this issue is by using the shorthand syntax `?=<`, which allows you to write PHP code directly inside HTML tags.Step 2: This method can be useful in certain situations, such as when working with server-side includes or when you need to embed PHP code within an HT

Q: How do I fix: ✨ Wrapping Up?

By understanding the root cause of this issue and applying one of the primary fix methods, you can ensure that your PHP code is correctly parsed and executed. Remember to use the short opening tag `?<>` or the shorthand syntax `?=<` to avoid issues with script tags.

PHP code with \u003c\u002fscript\u003e does not produce a parse error.

Quick Answer: The \u003c\u002fscript\u003e tag is used to wrap server-side code, but it can also be used to wrap client-side code in HTML documents. In this case, the PHP code is being executed on the client-side, so there is no parse error.

📋 Table of Contents

⚠️ Common Causes
🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes
✨ Wrapping Up

The issue of not getting a parse error in PHP code with <?php </script> ?> is a common phenomenon that affects many developers. This error occurs when the PHP interpreter encounters an opening tag for a script, but does not recognize it as a valid script opening tag.

This issue can be frustrating because it may lead to incorrect assumptions about code syntax and potentially cause issues in larger projects. Fortunately, this problem has a straightforward solution.

⚠️ Common Causes

The primary reason why <?php </script> ?> does not produce a parse error is that PHP treats the opening tag for a script as a comment indicator.
In contrast, when a closing tag like </div> is encountered, PHP recognizes it as an invalid syntax and throws a parse error.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes

Using the `
Step 1: To fix this issue, you can use the short opening tag ``?<>`` at the beginning of your PHP code.
Step 2: This tells PHP that the code is a PHP block and prevents it from interpreting the opening script tag as a comment indicator.
Step 3: Alternatively, you can also use the full opening tag ``<?php`` for more explicitness.

Using the `
Step 1: Another approach to avoid this issue is by using the shorthand syntax ``?=<``, which allows you to write PHP code directly inside HTML tags.
Step 2: This method can be useful in certain situations, such as when working with server-side includes or when you need to embed PHP code within an HTML document.

✨ Wrapping Up

By understanding the root cause of this issue and applying one of the primary fix methods, you can ensure that your PHP code is correctly parsed and executed. Remember to use the short opening tag `?<>` or the shorthand syntax `?=<` to avoid issues with script tags.

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